Lots of Filipino elite trail athletes in Danao last weekend for the Danao City International Ultra Trail event on Cebu island. The event is new on the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar this season as well, and lured none other than Cecille Wael to come and complete her 20th long ultra under ATM! Just a week after finishing third in Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, Wael focused on just finishing the tough 100km in Danao - an event where she finished second on the 50km two years ago. She is the second Filipino woman to score a 4th star and is thus now a Golden Grandmaster!

Female runners stole the show in Danao overall, as the 100km race up front saw an exciting battle between Elizabeth Dangadan and Nepal’s Nirmala Rai - double winner of MTR 100 Miles and making her first appearance in the Philippines. Dangadan set the pace from the beginning, but Rai never gave up and remained close for nearly the entire race. Only at the finish the gap had extended somewhat to 20 minutes. Dangadan won in 18h34, proving again what a tough course Danao 100 is. Angelie Cabalo, winner a week ago at Sierra Madre, took third on the podium. Third was the highest achievable last weekend, but still she finished ahead of Aggy Sabanal.

The 50 km race in Danao saw the appearance of reigning and two-time ATM Champion Priya Rai, the younger sister of Nirmala. Priya is in the midst of university graduation and despite carrying an injury she won the race in 6h44.

The men’s 100km had a fantastic start list including ATM Champion John Ray Onifa, Arnie Macaneras and Godwin Mirar. With also Larry Apolinario, Joebert Elmaguin and former Danao 100 winner Andy Toniaco in the mix, fans were excited to see a tremendous battle between them for victory. Macaneras set the pace early, but would eventually slow down and DNF. Reportedly, Macaneras is between race goals at the moment and therefore not at his peak level. Onifa, Mirar, Elmaguin and Apolinario ran together like brothers. Mirar, however, would also retire from the race towards the end. While many fans were hoping to see a nice sprint between the remaining three stars for the win, they came in side by side. Andy Toniaco was fourth quite a bit later, and Jensen Pasaforte fifth.

Elizabeth Dangadan won the women’s 100k ahead of Nepal’s Nirmala Rai

No royal sprint for victory: Onifa, Appolinario and Elmaguin come in together

Bislig Ultra Trail in Surigao del Sur, north of Davao, this year offers a Grandmaster Quest point to all finishers of the 80km course on 11/12 October. The event, a Candidate Race last year, is organised by the AWRA Team, which also brings you the New Corella Trail Ultra in December.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. You are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.” The highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls” of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

The 80km course is an extension of last year’s 50km. It is a challenging and exhilarating course that showcases the region's diverse terrain, including barangay roads, scenic trails, waterfalls, river crossings, and ridgelines. Last year, the excellent service and volunteer support gave participants a memorable trail experience. The men’s 50k race was won by pre-race favourite Jhon Mahinay and the women’s race went to Lory Gacusan in 10h28.

Bislig is located 200km north of Davao City in Surigao del Sur Province. Davao is your main airport for those who need to fly in. It’s certainly listed among the ‘new destinations’ for trail runners.

The official facebook page has all details and can be accessed via the button below.

Bislig Ultra Trail can look back to a successful inaugural edition last weekend. The new event in Surigao del Sur, north of Davao in Mindanao (Philippines) is organised by the AWRA Team and had a varied 50k as main race category. The course offered a challenging and exhilarating course that showcased the region's diverse terrain, including barangay roads, scenic trails, waterfalls, river crossings, and ridgelines. The excellent service and volunteer support gave the many participants a memorable trail experience.

The men’s 50k race was won by pre-race favourite Jhon Mahinay. He was 9 minutes faster than Ian Ray Hilapon and finished in 6h42. In third place, a bit later, was Reymar Taleon.

The women’s race went to Lory Gacusan in 10h28. In a rather tight race, she was faster by 19 minutes over Gilda Pagal and Chona Mae Dingal.

The winning times indicate that Bislig is indeed challenging. AWRA organises another ATM Candidate in December, the New Corella Trail Ultra. This one takes place a bit further south and therefore closer to Davao City.

This weekend we also have a new ATM Candidate Race in Mindanao in the Philippines. Bislig Ultra Trail is the first event in Surigao del Sur, which is located to the north of Davao, and features a 50km as main race category. The start list is long for a debut race, showing the enthusiasm of the local trail community.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. Whether you are tackling the 50km, 25km, or 15km category, you are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.” The highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

Among the race favourites of the 50km is Jhong Mahinay, but we are looking forward to discovering quite a lot of new talent from Surigao and surroundings. The event is organised by AWRA, which in December also has another Candidate Race named New Corella Trail Ultra.

We are happy to announce that Bislig Ultra Trail in the Caraga region of Mindanao in the Philippines has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its edition on 13 October. Taking place at Brgy. Burboanan in Bislig City, Surigao Del Sur, the event offers three race distance categories of which the 50km is the longest. It is the first time an event receives our label in this region, which has plenty of tourism potential. Bislig City is located just north of the Davao region.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. Whether you are tackling the 50km, 25km, or 15km category, you are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.”

Highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

While the 50km is obviously designed for experienced trail and distance runners, also the 25km and 15km have exciting sections for beginning trail runners to enjoy to the maximum. Total elevation gain is 1600 hm for the 50, 900hm for the 25 and 600hm for the 15km. There will be separate race starting times at 3:30am, 4:30am and 5:30am with the longer distances going first. Cut-off times are 16 hours,8 hours and 5 hours respectively.

Registration for Bislig Ultra can be done easily via the button below that connects with a Google form. For more details and news about the event, it is recommended to follow the facebook page.

Our brand new 4-star Grandmaster, Rhea Batac - first female and Filipino runner to score the 4th star - will be at the starting line as well.